Todd, you're going to love this thing. It's seriously so easy to use, just make sure you are prepared to go up a pant size cause your food is gonna be legit!
In the market for my first pellet grill. Have a couple of family members that both own Traegers but I was looking into something different. Like the features and large pellet box that the SG has to offer. Great simple video and breakdown. Thanks for posting!
I have the Camp Chef MZG with the wifi controller and love mine. One of the first things I did was put a gasket around the lid, it stops the smoke from rolling out of the lid like yours did in your video, gets more smoke on the food. It also allows you to get higher temps when you're using the slide and Grill feature. I've reached between 550 and 600 Degrees.
Your pellet hopper has a window but I don't see any Smokepro SG's for sale with a hopper window. EDIT: According to Camp Chef customer service, all the SG's now have the hopper window and bottle opener regardless of those features not being advertised in pictures and specs!
I have the 36" SmokePro LUX and the 2 features you mention, ash cleanout and pellet switching, are only offered by camp chef. I've done pork shoulder, tri-tip, brisket and ribs. The smoke flavor isn't as strong as a traditional wood burner, or charcoal smoker with wood chunks, but you can bump it up by placing wood chips or chunks on the heat deflector.
Great video review. Been looking at several options...Traeger, Pit Boss and Z Grill. I have the Camp Chef firepit and the Pro 6X stove which I think is great. Question... in your review you didn't discuss if the model you have is WIFI enabled as listed on their website. If yours has this feature how do you rate the app and its functionality? Thanks
@@the-mountainlife I will probably be looking sometime this summer. Waiting for my grill to be considered old so I can justify it. My dad bought a nice traeger but it struggles getting to temperature. I have watched videos of how much better the smokepro heats. I was thinking about getting the side burner option too but don't know if it's necessary. Hope all is well
@@LoganVUtah Ha ha, leave your grill outside during the winter without a cover and hopefully you'll be ready for a new one in no time :) Side burner would be nice I think as I am told they accommodate camp chef skillets and things that you may already have, as they are the same size. Good luck, you'll like having one around!
Great review ! I was looking at a different (newer ?) SmokePro and have been wondering with all these grills if rats could get in there !! You answered it !! (at least for this model--not sure about the other SmokePro's yet)
All Camp Chef models from the very beginning have had the slotted gard on the chimney hole. Camp Chef said it was for that very reason. Other pellet grills reported having mice enter through the smoke stack when not in use for a length of time. So Camp Chef put a slotted grill on theirs to stop that problem.
I believe this model is better than the Camp Chef MZG from Amazon and almost as good as the Camp Chef Woodwind SG. But its main grilling feature is not for searing. I wish the fire was stronger. I love the accessories like the SideKick and pizza oven. In my research I've found that the main competitor at this price range is actually a Pit Boss 1100 which has double the hopper, 1100 sq in of space and much bigger fire for actual searing without a sideburner. The sacrifice is Camp Chef's better controller, easier clean-up, great service and amazing accessories. If you want to sear rather than just grill on this SG, you will need a sideburner accessory which is why the Woodwind SG comes with one.
I have pitt boss (early model) pb440d, I need the sear, flame broil option, I just don't want a smoker. It's along story, I replaced the ignitor 3x, motherboard 1x, stress! still not right, support from them has been great. Camp chef has 3 features pitt boss doesn't, ash bottom bucket, it comes with probes, fuse up front, fire pit in the middle of the grill, not on the left.
@@9realdeal91 Both good grills. All these smokers will need parts and service under warranty unless you're very lucky, so warranty and customer service matters A LOT. Best case scenario is, nothing breaks. If it does everything gets fixed under warranty and then rarely needs an inexpensive fix.
This will be my 3rd time using mine.. I learned the grill feature is for hot dogs, burgers and or a couple of kabobs .. central grilling ..how ever you still can treat it like a grill just takes a lil longer.. Going to do a turkey this week ... what would you recommend I set the temp on.
I bought a Traeger Jr from my local costco. So far I like but I recently heard about this brand. I might have to change it, it has several features that my Traeger doesnt.
You're right it does. Probably my favorite feature, oddly enough, is the ability to change flavor of pellets. I don't know that you can do that on your model. This makes switching from fish to pork to beef very easy. Even if you keep yours, welcome to the smoking world! Good luck!
awesome basic video. I'm seriously considering a Camp Chef. However, I need more info on the electronic controls on the left side of the grill. No one seems to want to explain how all that works. Am I able to select the temperature I want to smoke at and at the same time control how much smoke is being used? I usually smoke at around 200 degrees but I like to use a lot of smoke. Does this smoker allow me to do that?
Good point, sorry about that David. The rotary knob on the control panel lets you dial to a specific temperature. This also correlates to a relative amount of smoke. You cannot independently control these two variables. I hope that helps....if not, let me know if you have other questions.
Hello. How hot would you say the grates get when you are in direct flame mode? I’d like to be able to place a good grill grate on top and Sear steaks rather than buying that sear attachment.
Thanks for a GREAT video. You really showed off all the features I wanted to see. The website is sorely missing a lot of this info. Honestly they should pay you to use this on their website. It would probably increase sales. So I'm curious how much you use the slide and grill? I'm thinking about replacing both my older GMG smoker AND my gas grill with one of these babies. With the ability to reach higher temps and have some direct flame action that is super easy to get, I'm not sure that I would need both grills anymore.
David, thanks for being so complimentary! I too had hopes that I could ditch the gas grill and just have one unit to do it all. However, the slide and grill function is a bit lacking in my opinion. It would probably be ok for a steak or two, but the actual direct flame area is too small to handle much more than that. So if you don’t find yourself cooking much more than that, it may work for you. I need a grill to handle more than that, so I still have both. No regrets though, it’s been great 👍🏼
@@the-mountainlife Thanks for confirming. After your video I watched another one that basically said the same thing. And that was with the higher end Woodwind... Makes me sad. I guess I will just get my older GMG back into commission and buy a new gas grill instead.
If I only need 1-2 meat probes would it be safe to say this is just as effective as the woodwind. I do not need the side feature as the Blackstone griddle is fine. Thank you.
I have this same smoker, it smokes a lot when first started it after that I can’t see smoke barley at all. I expected more smoke and see some coming out of the chimney but only on start up? Is any one else have this problem
I have a question for you. I put my camp chef together today. I did the 30 minute burn before use and about 10 minutes into it it stopped smoking. Have you had this happen to you? I did fill the Auger tube until pellets came out. I had my smoke level on 8.
I noticed you have the "slotted" drip tray. I saw where you covered it with foil for easier clean up. Did that affect the smoking at all? I saw a previous comment where you were not impressed with the sear and grill feature. Did the foil on the drip tray cause it not to sear properly? Your thoughts please.
Hi Greg. I have never smoked anything without foiling the drip tray, so I guess I really can't say if one way is better or not. However, I don't think that would make a difference as the whole inside of this smoker is filled with smoke when it's cooking. The grill feature is unimpressive because you have one central heat source, so unless you are grilling two steaks that can basically fit right over the fire box, it's not going to cook evenly. I don't think it would get hot enough to actually "sear" anything on that setting. I hope that helps. Thanks for the questions.
I used a 9x11" (or close to the size) foil drip pan for pork shoulder, which left most of the louvered slots unimpeded vs a full foil barrier. I wondered how much heat that sapped from my cook though, but I'm guessing not much, if any.
So, there may be other differences but from what I remember the SG stands for slide and grill. This is shown in this video as the plate that slides out of the way for more of a direct flame/grilling mode. I’m not sure that the DLX has this.... as a sidenote, I wouldn’t necessarily go out and choose the one with the slide and grill function over the other as I feel that this has fairly limited functionality and have chosen to stick with my grill if I truly want to grill something. Other things to compare would be pellet hopper capacity and whether or not the hopper has a drain door to allow for switching flavor of pellets. Hope that helps!
@@the-mountainlife Thanks for this reply. This is my dilemma exactly. Was wondering if the slide and grill is actually functional. If not, I'll just get a DLX model (w/o) slide and grill feature amd maybe just and the sear box if I want to do burgers or steaks and get a true grilling feature.
@@the-mountainlife Thanks for this reply. This is my dilemma exactly. Was wondering if the slide and grill is actually functional. If not, I'll just get a DLX model (w/o) slide and grill feature amd maybe just and the sear box if I want to do burgers or steaks and get a true grilling feature.
Yes, I have. To be completely honest, it leaves a little to be desired. It doesn't cook as evenly as a traditional grill, and it doesn't heat up as well. I would really only consider this a really nice smoker and something you could grill with in a pinch. Hope that helps...
It is holding up well. I keep it covered and in the garage so the weather doesn't get to it. A quick google search and I found it available from CampChefs site and Home Depot as well as others. Good luck!
*TO FUTURE BUYERS* I saw this video and pulled the trigger because of it. But beware, if you want this for its wifi or Bluetooth capabilities, LOOK ELSEWHERE. This thing is trash, the wifi never connects or constantly disconnects defeating the whole purpose. Read the app reviews, you'll see what I mean. Don't waste your money like I did.
Total garbage, I've owned this for 3 years and it's rusting out everywhere even though its always covered when not in use. I've received ZERO customer service from camp chef. Stay far away from camp chef products.
@@ammogiant824 Gotcha. That offers a bit more insight. Camp chef is based out of Utah which is dry and arid, so a lot different than where you live. Maybe they need to do a bit more product testing in varying climates…but living in Idaho mine has held up well. Good luck and sorry it’s been a bit of a bummer for you.
What an excellent review! No bs, just a great review.
Great product review. This was very helpful. This is the smoker I am actually looking at purchasing. Thank you!
Glad it helped, thanks Scott. I have really enjoyed this smoker and you're going to love this thing.
Great Video. I just ordered one prior to coming across your presentation and after your breaking it down, I can't wait to get it..
Todd, you're going to love this thing. It's seriously so easy to use, just make sure you are prepared to go up a pant size cause your food is gonna be legit!
In the market for my first pellet grill. Have a couple of family members that both own Traegers but I was looking into something different. Like the features and large pellet box that the SG has to offer. Great simple video and breakdown. Thanks for posting!
You bet! I’ve had zero regrets with this thing.
Great video. Thanks. Just purchased one of these, can't wait to get started
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
So that was a great video. Exactly what I was looking for. I have one on the way. Appreciate it!
Thanks Tom! I’m glad it helped you out. I have really enjoyed mine.
I have the Camp Chef MZG with the wifi controller and love mine. One of the first things I did was put a gasket around the lid, it stops the smoke from rolling out of the lid like yours did in your video, gets more smoke on the food. It also allows you to get higher temps when you're using the slide and Grill feature. I've reached between 550 and 600 Degrees.
Where did you get the gasket?
What gasket did you buy? I just used my CC and good amount smoke was escaping from the front of the closed lid
@@TWC6724 Amazon
I just bought the camp chef wood wind 36. I love it!
Your pellet hopper has a window but I don't see any Smokepro SG's for sale with a hopper window. EDIT: According to Camp Chef customer service, all the SG's now have the hopper window and bottle opener regardless of those features not being advertised in pictures and specs!
Well thought-out review!
I have the 36" SmokePro LUX and the 2 features you mention, ash cleanout and pellet switching, are only offered by camp chef. I've done pork shoulder, tri-tip, brisket and ribs. The smoke flavor isn't as strong as a traditional wood burner, or charcoal smoker with wood chunks, but you can bump it up by placing wood chips or chunks on the heat deflector.
I'm looking at buying one. What is the difference in the smoke pro and woodwind?
SUPER late to the party...lol...so I can set a bunch of chips on the deflector and it will smolder?
Add a smoke tube. Less mess and you get around a 4 hr burn.
Great video review. Been looking at several options...Traeger, Pit Boss and Z Grill. I have the Camp Chef firepit and the Pro 6X stove which I think is great. Question... in your review you didn't discuss if the model you have is WIFI enabled as listed on their website. If yours has this feature how do you rate the app and its functionality? Thanks
Just came to the same conclusion that campchef is the way to go. Love the videos man keep them coming!
Thanks Logan, good to hear from you man! Hope things are going well. So have you bought one yet, or are you still researching them?
@@the-mountainlife I will probably be looking sometime this summer. Waiting for my grill to be considered old so I can justify it. My dad bought a nice traeger but it struggles getting to temperature. I have watched videos of how much better the smokepro heats. I was thinking about getting the side burner option too but don't know if it's necessary. Hope all is well
@@LoganVUtah Ha ha, leave your grill outside during the winter without a cover and hopefully you'll be ready for a new one in no time :) Side burner would be nice I think as I am told they accommodate camp chef skillets and things that you may already have, as they are the same size. Good luck, you'll like having one around!
Great review ! I was looking at a different (newer ?) SmokePro and have been wondering with all these grills if rats could get in there !! You answered it !! (at least for this model--not sure about the other SmokePro's yet)
Jeff, I hear you man! I think it’s a question that simply goes unanswered in so many reviews! Glad we could finally get it answered for you! :)
All Camp Chef models from the very beginning have had the slotted gard on the chimney hole. Camp Chef said it was for that very reason. Other pellet grills reported having mice enter through the smoke stack when not in use for a length of time. So Camp Chef put a slotted grill on theirs to stop that problem.
I believe this model is better than the Camp Chef MZG from Amazon and almost as good as the Camp Chef Woodwind SG. But its main grilling feature is not for searing. I wish the fire was stronger. I love the accessories like the SideKick and pizza oven. In my research I've found that the main competitor at this price range is actually a Pit Boss 1100 which has double the hopper, 1100 sq in of space and much bigger fire for actual searing without a sideburner. The sacrifice is Camp Chef's better controller, easier clean-up, great service and amazing accessories. If you want to sear rather than just grill on this SG, you will need a sideburner accessory which is why the Woodwind SG comes with one.
I have pitt boss (early model) pb440d, I need the sear, flame broil option, I just don't want a smoker. It's along story, I replaced the ignitor 3x, motherboard 1x, stress! still not right, support from them has been great. Camp chef has 3 features pitt boss doesn't, ash bottom bucket, it comes with probes, fuse up front, fire pit in the middle of the grill, not on the left.
@@9realdeal91 Both good grills. All these smokers will need parts and service under warranty unless you're very lucky, so warranty and customer service matters A LOT. Best case scenario is, nothing breaks. If it does everything gets fixed under warranty and then rarely needs an inexpensive fix.
Nice video. I subbed. Does it grill well like advertised? Like a steak, that is?
Excellent review. Thank you.
You’re welcome, thanks for the compliment!
Wonderful overview, thanks
Glad it helped, you're welcome.
This will be my 3rd time using mine.. I learned the grill feature is for hot dogs, burgers and or a couple of kabobs .. central grilling ..how ever you still can treat it like a grill just takes a lil longer.. Going to do a turkey this week ... what would you recommend I set the temp on.
I bought a Traeger Jr from my local costco. So far I like but I recently heard about this brand. I might have to change it, it has several features that my Traeger doesnt.
You're right it does. Probably my favorite feature, oddly enough, is the ability to change flavor of pellets. I don't know that you can do that on your model. This makes switching from fish to pork to beef very easy. Even if you keep yours, welcome to the smoking world! Good luck!
I think I am about to buy one. I live n Panama and they are now available here.
awesome basic video. I'm seriously considering a Camp Chef. However, I need more info on the electronic controls on the left side of the grill. No one seems to want to explain how all that works. Am I able to select the temperature I want to smoke at and at the same time control how much smoke is being used? I usually smoke at around 200 degrees but I like to use a lot of smoke. Does this smoker allow me to do that?
Good point, sorry about that David. The rotary knob on the control panel lets you dial to a specific temperature. This also correlates to a relative amount of smoke. You cannot independently control these two variables. I hope that helps....if not, let me know if you have other questions.
Hello. How hot would you say the grates get when you are in direct flame mode? I’d like to be able to place a good grill grate on top and Sear steaks rather than buying that sear attachment.
Thanks for a GREAT video. You really showed off all the features I wanted to see. The website is sorely missing a lot of this info. Honestly they should pay you to use this on their website. It would probably increase sales.
So I'm curious how much you use the slide and grill? I'm thinking about replacing both my older GMG smoker AND my gas grill with one of these babies. With the ability to reach higher temps and have some direct flame action that is super easy to get, I'm not sure that I would need both grills anymore.
David, thanks for being so complimentary! I too had hopes that I could ditch the gas grill and just have one unit to do it all. However, the slide and grill function is a bit lacking in my opinion. It would probably be ok for a steak or two, but the actual direct flame area is too small to handle much more than that. So if you don’t find yourself cooking much more than that, it may work for you. I need a grill to handle more than that, so I still have both. No regrets though, it’s been great 👍🏼
@@the-mountainlife Thanks for confirming. After your video I watched another one that basically said the same thing. And that was with the higher end Woodwind... Makes me sad. I guess I will just get my older GMG back into commission and buy a new gas grill instead.
Hi buddy.
How the Works the funtion feed?
I just have a new camp chef smoker
I need one for my smoked fish dip!🔥🔥🔥🔥
Yes you do!
I realize I am kind of randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to stream newly released tv shows online?
@Cayson Rowan Try Flixzone. Just google for it :)
Nice thanks. big enough for a full packer Brisket??
Yes sir
Отличный гриль)))
Давно подписан на ваш канал
Почему нет видео о зимней рыбалке?
Привет из России))
If I only need 1-2 meat probes would it be safe to say this is just as effective as the woodwind. I do not need the side feature as the Blackstone griddle is fine. Thank you.
Perfect, yes.
If my auger runs out of pellets mid-cook do I need to put it on the feed setting again or can I just add it and watch my temp drop 😢
What are the interior dimensions ?
What's the difference in the SmokePro SG 24 and the Woodwind WiFi 24?
I have this same smoker, it smokes a lot when first started it after that I can’t see smoke barley at all. I expected more smoke and see some coming out of the chimney but only on start up? Is any one else have this problem
Is it tall enough for a beer can chicken to stand upright?
I just looked at this one and I’m done looking.
Why you chose the SG and not the Woodwind?
Helpful ,... Thanks
You're welcome!
How many pounds of pellets does it hold?
I have a question for you. I put my camp chef together today. I did the 30 minute burn before use and about 10 minutes into it it stopped smoking. Have you had this happen to you? I did fill the Auger tube until pellets came out. I had my smoke level on 8.
Was the lid open, or is the bottom plate of the burn box fully closed?
@@the-mountainlife, yes the lid was closed and the slide was closed also.
@@the-mountainlife you are talking about the slide for the clean out correct?
Jimmy Dunsing yes, the slide for the clean out. The only time mine has shut off is when this was open....
Hooking up to the wig to work has been a real pain
how many briskets could you smoke together in this model
Sorry I didn't get back to you until now....2 comfortably.
I noticed you have the "slotted" drip tray. I saw where you covered it with foil for easier clean up. Did that affect the smoking at all? I saw a previous comment where you were not impressed with the sear and grill feature. Did the foil on the drip tray cause it not to sear properly? Your thoughts please.
Hi Greg. I have never smoked anything without foiling the drip tray, so I guess I really can't say if one way is better or not. However, I don't think that would make a difference as the whole inside of this smoker is filled with smoke when it's cooking. The grill feature is unimpressive because you have one central heat source, so unless you are grilling two steaks that can basically fit right over the fire box, it's not going to cook evenly. I don't think it would get hot enough to actually "sear" anything on that setting. I hope that helps. Thanks for the questions.
I used a 9x11" (or close to the size) foil drip pan for pork shoulder, which left most of the louvered slots unimpeded vs a full foil barrier. I wondered how much heat that sapped from my cook though, but I'm guessing not much, if any.
Looks like there’s a DLX and SG 24 can you comment on difference I bought a pitboss and it’s broken 3 times and it’s a parts stuck
Pellets nightmare
So, there may be other differences but from what I remember the SG stands for slide and grill. This is shown in this video as the plate that slides out of the way for more of a direct flame/grilling mode. I’m not sure that the DLX has this.... as a sidenote, I wouldn’t necessarily go out and choose the one with the slide and grill function over the other as I feel that this has fairly limited functionality and have chosen to stick with my grill if I truly want to grill something. Other things to compare would be pellet hopper capacity and whether or not the hopper has a drain door to allow for switching flavor of pellets. Hope that helps!
@@the-mountainlife Thanks for this reply. This is my dilemma exactly. Was wondering if the slide and grill is actually functional. If not, I'll just get a DLX model (w/o) slide and grill feature amd maybe just and the sear box if I want to do burgers or steaks and get a true grilling feature.
@@the-mountainlife Thanks for this reply. This is my dilemma exactly. Was wondering if the slide and grill is actually functional. If not, I'll just get a DLX model (w/o) slide and grill feature amd maybe just and the sear box if I want to do burgers or steaks and get a true grilling feature.
How’s the noise on this? My GMG DC is noisy ua-cam.com/video/NCZUrpsQQr4/v-deo.html. and I’m looking to upgrade to something quieter.
Have you grilled with the slide and grill feature? How was it?
Yes, I have. To be completely honest, it leaves a little to be desired. It doesn't cook as evenly as a traditional grill, and it doesn't heat up as well. I would really only consider this a really nice smoker and something you could grill with in a pinch. Hope that helps...
How does do with steaks?
I don't use it for steaks as the grill feature isn't as good as a traditional grill....sorry I can't help you on this one.
It looks like you have to plug it in. So does it have to have electricity?
Yes, it has to be plugged in.
Yes to operate the electronics for the temperature control which operates the Auger Motor which feeds the pellets to control the temperature
How is it holding up? Where did you get this model? I can’t seem to find itZ
It is holding up well. I keep it covered and in the garage so the weather doesn't get to it. A quick google search and I found it available from CampChefs site and Home Depot as well as others. Good luck!
Anyone here have problem with tripping house power??
Haven’t had a problem.
*TO FUTURE BUYERS*
I saw this video and pulled the trigger because of it. But beware, if you want this for its wifi or Bluetooth capabilities, LOOK ELSEWHERE. This thing is trash, the wifi never connects or constantly disconnects defeating the whole purpose. Read the app reviews, you'll see what I mean. Don't waste your money like I did.
Oh no! Mine doesn’t have the bluetooth/wifi. Sorry you’ve had bad luck with it and thanks for sharing.
Total garbage, I've owned this for 3 years and it's rusting out everywhere even though its always covered when not in use. I've received ZERO customer service from camp chef. Stay far away from camp chef products.
Where do you live?
@@the-mountainlife South Florida
@@ammogiant824 Gotcha. That offers a bit more insight. Camp chef is based out of Utah which is dry and arid, so a lot different than where you live. Maybe they need to do a bit more product testing in varying climates…but living in Idaho mine has held up well. Good luck and sorry it’s been a bit of a bummer for you.
WIthin 3 years they will replace any rusted parts.... including the entire grill
@@georgesambataro3337 nope I spoke to them and they said the don't cover rust.
Nice review, thanks.